Electric light



B. S. FLORADAY Nov. 28, 1933. I

ELECTRIC LIGHT F led Jan. 11,

1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Nov. 28, 1933. B. s. FLORADAY ELECTRIC LIGHT Filed Jan. 11, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Z 20' 027 si daraaf'ay ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 28, 1933 ELECTRIC LIGHT Burton S. Floraday, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The Dura Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 11, 1932. Serial No. 586,049

19 Claims.

This invention relates generally to electric lights of the self-contained portable unit type and refers more particularly to those having electric switches in the supporting bases thereof for 3 controlling the illumination of the electric light bulbs.

One of the essential objects of the invention is to produce a light of this character wherein the electric switch is operable both automatically and manually.

,Another object is to produce a light switch wherein the automatically operable means and the manually operable means are associated in such a way that the operation of one may be controlled by the operation of the other.

- Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made moreapparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the go accompanying drawings, wherein:

' Figure lis a side elevation of a light embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the structure illustrated in Figure 1 and showing the contact element 22 in engagement with the step 31 of the peripheral flange 29 of the lever 25;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View of the structure illustrated in Figure 1;

30 1 Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View throughthe light and showing the contact element 22 in engagement with the step 30 of the peripheral flange 29 of the lever 25;

Figure is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the disc and manually operable lever;

, Figure '7 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the lever 25 after the flange 29 has been movedbeyond the contact element 22;

. Figure 8 is a sectional View taken on the line 8-8 of Figure '7; v

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 99 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 is a base adapted to rest upon a suitable support 2 such as a table and having a central chamber 3 with openings 4 and 5 respectively at. the top and bottom thereof. 6 is a sectional casing of tubular formation extending upwardly from the base 1; 7 is a glass dome mounted in the upper end of thecasing 6; '8 is an electric light bulb within the dome 7 and having its terminal 9 anchored within the upper end of the casing 6; 10 is an electric battery within the casing 6 and preferably comprising two dry cells; 11 is a metal plug secured in the opening 4 in the base; 12 is insulation about the plug, and 13 is a coil spring extending between the plug 11 and battery 10 and holding the latter in engagement with the bulb terminal 9.

Referring to the switch structure for controlling the illumination of the bulb 8, 15 is a metal disc secured to the top wall 16 of the opening 5; 17 is a plunger of insulating material movable in an opening 18 in the disc and having a reduced shank l9 movable in a socket 20 in the base 1; 21 is a block of insulating material anchored in one side of the chamber 3; 22 is a spring metal strip having one end in the block 21 and having an opening 23 at its other end receiving the reduced shank portion 19 of the plunger; 24 is a coil spring extending between the plug 11 and strip 22 and urging the apertured end of the strip downwardly, and 26 is a lever pivoted at 26 on the disc 15 and provided at its opposite ends with a segmental portion 27 and an operating handle 28. As shown, the segmental portion 27 is provided with an upstanding peripheral flange 29 having stepped edge portions 30 and 31 respectively for successive engagement with the strip 22 and the handle 28 extends downwardly through and is movable in a longitudinally curved slot 33 in the disc 15. Preferably the construction and arrangement of the lever 25 and slot 33 is such that the flange 29 may be moved beyond and thereby entirely disengaged from the strip 22.

In use the lever 25 may be adjusted to one of three positions, i. e., to aposition at the extreme left end 34 of the slot 33, asillustrated in Figure 8, to a mid position as illustrated in Figure 5 or to a position at the extreme right hand end 35 of the slot, as illustrated in Figure 9. When the lever 25 has been moved to the mid position and the base 1 is placed on the support 2 the plunger 17 on contacting with the support will move upwardly and will cause the strip 22 to be raised above the step so of the flange 29, consequently the circuit to the bulb 8 will be opened. However, when the base 1 lifted from the support 2 the spring 24 will urge the strip 22 and plunger 17 downwardly so that the strip 22 will contact with the step 30 and will cause the circuit to the bulb 8 to be automatically'closed. Should the lever 25 be shifted to the position at the extreme right hand end of the slot as illustrated in Figure 9, the step 31 of the flange 29 will engage the strip 22 and the circuit to the bulb 8 will be closed regardless of whether the base is on or off the support 2.

to the position at the extreme left hand end of the slot as illustrated in Figure 8, the flange 29 will be moved beyond the strip 22 so that the circuit to the bulb 8 will be open regardless of whether the base 1 is on or off the support 2. Thus the switch is operable both automatically and manually and the automatically operable means and the manually operable means are associated in such a way that the operation of one may be controlled by the operation of the other.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a light of the self-contained portable unit type, a plunger engageable with a light support, a manually operable electric switch contact element, and a cooperating electric switch contact element operable by the plunger when the latter engages the support to position the former in spaced relation to the manually operable element, and means for moving the cooperating element into engagement with the manually operable element when the plunger is disengaged from the support.

2. In a light of the self-contained portable unit type, a base, a disc secured to the base, a plunger movable in the disc, an electric switch contact element anchored in the base and actuable by the plunger, and a manually operable electric contact element carried by the disc and engageable with the element aforesaid.

3. A switch for lights of the self-contained portable unit type including a movable electric contact element, a manually operable electric contact element movable to and from engagement with the movable element, and manually operable means beside the manually-operable element and operable automatically under predetermined conditions for moving the movable contact element relative to the manual element.

4. A switch for lights of the self-contained portable unit type including a manually operable electric contact element, a movable electric contact element engageable with the manually operable element, and manually operable means beside the manually operable element and automatically operable means for disengaging the movable element from the manual element.

5. A switch for lights of the self-contained portable unit type including a movable electric contact element, a pivotally mounted contact element engageable with the movable element, and a longitudinally movable member for disengaging the movable element from the pivotally mounted element.

6. A switch for lights of the self-contained portable unit type including a pivotally mounted manually operable contact element, a longitudinally movable operating member, and a movable electric contact element engageable with and by said manually operable element and operable by said longitudinally movable member independently of and relative to said manually operable member.

'7. A switch for lights of the self-contained portable unit type including a pair of independently operable members, one being an electric contact element and a cooperating electric contact element engageable with and operable by the contact element aforesaid and operable independently by the other of said members.

8. A light of the self-contained portable unit type having a single circuit including movable cooperating electric contact elements, one having a part movable across the other and being manually operable, and an operating member for the other rendered efiective or ineffective depending upon the position of the part aforesaid of said manually operable element relative to said other element.

9. In an electric light of the self-contained portable unit type, a base engageable with a suitable support, and an electric switch unit carried by the base and including a disc secured to said base, an electric contact element movable vertically relative to the disc, a spring urging the element toward the disc, a support engaging plunger slidable in the disc for moving said element away from said disc against the tension of said spring, and a cooperating electric contact element mounted to swing in a plane substantially parallel to said disc and having a part engageable with the element aforesaid.

10. In an electric light of the self-contained portable unit type, a base engageable with a suitable support, and an electric switch unit carried by the base and including a disc secured to said base, an electric contact element movable vertically relative to the disc, and means for actuating said element including a yieldable element above the disc, a plunger slidable in the disc, and a cooperating electric contact element carried by and movable in a plane substantially parallel to said disc and having means engageable with the first mentioned element to render it inoperative by said plunger.

11. In an electric light of the self-contained portable unit type, a base engageable with a suitable support, and an electric switch unit carried by the base and including a disc secured to said base, an electric contact element movable vertically relative to the disc, and means for actuating said element including a spring above the disc, a plunger slidable in the disc, and a cooperating electric contact element carried by and movable in a plane substantially parallel to said disc and having means for moving the first mentioned element relative to said plunger.

12. In an electric light of the self-contained portable unit type, a base engageable with a suitable support, and an electric switch carried by the base and including a disc secured to said base, a plunger slidable in said disc, an electric contact element pivoted above the disc and havirm an end slidable longitudinally of and actuable by said plunger, and means carried by the disc for moving the end aforesaid of the first mentioned element longitudinally of said plunger.

13. In an electric light of the self-contained portable unit type, a base engageable with a suitable support, and an electric switch carried by the base and including a disc secured to said base, a plunger slidable in said disc, an electric contact element pivoted above the disc and having an end slidable longitudinally of and actuable by said plunger, and a cooperating electric contact element carried by the disc and having a stepped portion for moving the end aforesaid of the first mentioned element longitudinally of the plunger.

14. In an electric light of theself-contained portable unit type, a base engageable with a suitable support, and an electric switch unit carried by the base and including a movable electric contact element, a manually operable electric contact element engageable with the movable element, manually operable means adjacent the manually operable element and operable automatically under predetermined conditions for moving the movable element relative to the manual element, and a common support for said manually operable element and means.

15. In an electric light of the self-contained portable unit type, a base engageable with a suitable support, and an electric switch carried by the base and including a disc secured to the base, a movable electric contact element associated with but insulated from the base, and means for actuating said element including a pivotally mounted element movable across and having stepped portions successively engageable with said element.

16. In an electric light of the self-contained portable unit type, a base engageable with a suitable support, and an electric switchcarried by the base and including a disc secured to the base, a movable electric contact element associated with but insulated from the base, and means for actuating said element including a cooperating electric contact element having stepped portions movable across and successively engageable with the first mentioned element.

17. In an electric light of the self-contained portable unit type, a base engageable with a suitable support, and an electric switch carried by the base and including a disc secured to the base, a'plunger slidable in the disc, an electric contact element mounted to swing toward and away from the disc and actuable by said plunger,

means for moving the contact element aforesaid relative to the plunger, and yieldable means engaging said contact element and opposing movement thereof by both said plunger and last mentioned means.

' 18. In an electric light of the self-contained portable unit type, a base engageable with a suitable support, and an electric switch carried by the base and including a disc secured to said base, a plunger slidable in said disc, an electric contact element mounted to swing toward and away from the disc and having a portion slidable lon gitudinally of and actuable by said plunger, means for moving the portion just mentioned of said element longitudinally of the plunger including an electric contact element mounted to swing between the disc and the first mentioned element, and yieldable means urging the first mentioned element toward the last mentioned element and opposing movement of the first mentioned element by both the plunger and the last mentioned element.

19. In an electric light of the self-contained portable unit type, a base engageable with a suitable support, and an electric switch carried by the base and including a disc secured to said base, an electric contact element mounted to swing in a substantially vertical plane relative to the disc, and actuating means for said element including a plunger slidable in the disc, a cooperating contact element mounted to swing in substantially horizontal plane relative to the disc, and yieldable means constituting a follower for said first mentioned element and opposing movement thereof by the plunger and second mentioned element.

BURTON S. FLORADAY. 

